The Lymphatic System - Ailments: what can go wrong with the lymphatic
system

By its very nature, the lymphatic system is involved whenever the body
is fighting against foreign pathogens or abnormal body cells. The lymph
nodes (especially in the neck) often swell with bacteria and lymphocytes
when the body is battling common illnesses such as colds and influenza.
However, certain diseases and disorders target the lymphatic system.
Some slow down the ability of the system to work; others literally shut
it down. The result can be life threatening.

The following are a few of the diseases that can impair the lymphatic
system or its parts.

Systemic lupus erythematosus
(sis-TEM-ick LOU-pus er-i-the-mah-TOE-sis): Also called lupus or SLE,
disorder in which antibodies attack the body's own tissues as
if they were foreign.

Tonsillitis
(tahn-si-LIE-tis): Infection and swelling of the tonsils.

Sub-Saharan Africa:
22,500,000

South and Southeast Asia:
6,700,000

Latin America:
1,400,000

North America:
890,000

East Asia and Pacific:
560,000

Western Europe:
500,000

Caribbean:
330,000

Eastern Europe and Central Asia:
270,000

North Africa and Middle East:
210,000

Australia and New Zealand:
12,000

AIDS/HIV

AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) has been described as the
plague of the twentieth century. Since 1981, when it was first
recognized in the United States, the disease has claimed almost 14
million lives worldwide. AIDS is currently the leading cause of death
among all men between the ages of twenty-five and forty-four. The World
Health Organization (a specialized agency of the United Nations)
estimates that at the beginning of the twenty-first century, 40 million
people worldwide will be infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Once infected, individuals may not develop symptoms of the disease for
as many as ten years or more.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) impairs the body's ability to
produce an immune response. Specifically, the virus infects helper T
cells. Once inside a helper T cell, HIV can replicate or reproduce
within the cell and kill it in ways that are still not completely
understood. When the newly formed viruses break out of the dying helper
T cell, they continue the cycle by infecting other helper T cells. In
response, the body produces more helper T cells, but this only provides
the virus with more hosts in which to grow and spread.

Because helper T cells play a central role in directing the
body's immune response, their destruction brings about a drop in
cell-mediated immunity. The number of antibodies produced in the body
declines, leaving it without defenses against a wide range of invaders.
Many different types of infections and cancers can develop, taking
advantage of the body's weakened immune response. These
infections, normally harmless when the body is functioning properly, are
known as opportunistic infections.

Year

Cases diagnosed

Deaths

1981

316

120

1982

1,170

449

1983

3,068

1,478

1984

6,216

3,454

1985

11,740

6,854

1986

18,977

11,942

1987

28,499

16,118

1988

35,343

20,800

1989

42,453

27,423

1990

48,266

31,145

1991

59,318

36,220

1992

78,117

40,674

1993

78,164

44,108

1994

70,431

48,110

1995

65,614

47,858

1996

54,237

34,557

1997

30,986

14,185

People living with HIV/AIDS: 33.4 million

New HIV infections in 1998: 5.8 million

Deaths due to HIV/AIDS in 1998: 2.5 million

Total number of deaths due to HIV/AIDS: 13.9 million

HIV is transmitted between humans in blood, semen, and vaginal
secretions. The two main ways to contract the virus are by sharing a
needle with a drug user who is HIV-positive or by having unprotected
sexual relations with a person who is HIV-positive. (A person who is
HIV-positive is already infected with the virus.) It is possible for a
pregnant woman who is HIV-positive to transfer the virus to the fetus in
her womb. A few individuals have become infected with the virus after
receiving a transfusion of contaminated blood.

HIV cannot be transferred through insect bites or stings nor through
shaking hands or hugging. No one can contract the virus by sharing
telephones or eating utensils, by drinking out of public water
fountains, or by swimming in public pools.

There is currently no cure for the disease and no vaccine to prevent its
spread. The best defense against AIDS is avoiding sexual contact with
infected individuals. Intravenous drug use (injecting drugs into the
bloodstream) of any kind should always be avoided. Several antiviral
drugs have been developed that slow the progress of the disease in
infected individuals. Combinations of these drugs—known
informally as cocktails—have proven effective in improving the
quality and length of life of AIDS patients, especially those who have
been diagnosed in the early stages of the disease.

Medical research findings released in April 1999, however, have shown
that the virus can "hide" in memory T cells for up to
sixty years. When called upon to fight an infection, such as influenza,
the memory T cells could flood an individual's system with HIV.

Allergies

An allergy is an abnormal immune reaction to an otherwise harmless
substance. Among the most common of medical disorders, allergies affect
an estimated 60 million Americans, or more than one in every five
people.

Normally, when a foreign microorganism enters the body, antibodies are
produced to bind to the antigens on the foreign particles, and a series
of immune reactions take place. When harmless, everyday substances cause
the same series of immune reactions, the condition is known as allergy.
The offending substance is called an allergen.

Symptoms depend on the specific type of allergic reaction. In the most
common type of reaction, antibodies stimulated by the allergen cause
certain cells to release histamine into the surrounding interstitial
fluid. Histamine causes small blood vessels in the area to expand and
become "leaky." Excess fluid and mucus develop, and the
common symptoms appear: a runny nose, a scratchy or irritated throat,
and red, watery eyes. Allergens that cause a reaction on the skin
produce reddened, itchy skin. Those that affect the digestive tract may
cause a swelling or tingling in the lips or throat, nausea, cramping, or
diarrhea. Most reactions begin within seconds after contact with the
allergen and last about half an hour. Some may last from one to several
hours after contact.

A large number of prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs can treat the
symptoms of allergies. Antihistamines, decongestants, and nasal sprays
can all be used to decrease or counteract the effect of histamines.
Lotions and creams to reduce skin inflammation caused by allergens are
also available.

The allergic response. An allergy is an abnormal immune reaction to
an otherwise harmless substance. (Illustration by

Hans & Cassady

.)

Avoiding allergens is the best way to limit allergic reactions. This is
especially true for food allergies. Learning to recognize and avoid
those items that produce an allergic reaction allows most people with
allergies to lead normal lives.

Autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases are those in which the body produces antibodies and
T cells that attack and damage the body's own normal cells,
causing tissue destruction. It is a puzzling phenomenon. The reaction
can either take place in a number of tissues at the same time or in a
single organ. The following are just a few of the many types of
autoimmune diseases.

Graves' disease, also called hyperthyroidism, occurs when an
antibody binds to specific cells in the thyroid gland, forcing them to
secrete excess thyroid hormone. Symptoms of the condition include weight
loss with increased appetite, shortness of breath, tiredness, weak
muscles, anxiety, and visible enlargement

Multiple sclerosis is an immune cell attack on myelin, the
insulation covering nerve fibers in the central nervous system.
(Illustration by

Electronic Illustrators Group

.)

of the thyroid gland. Treatments include drugs to stop the hormone
production, radioactive iodine to destroy the hormone-producing cells
and shrink the enlarged gland, and surgery to remove a part or all of
the thyroid.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which immune cells attack and
destroy the insulation covering nerve fibers (neurons) in the central
nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Once the insulation, called
myelin, is destroyed, nerve messages are sent more slowly and less
efficiently. As a result, the brain and spinal cord no longer
communicate properly with the rest of the body. When this occurs,
vision, balance, strength, sensation, coordination, and other bodily
functions all suffer. More than 250,000 people in the United States are
afflicted with MS. Women are twice as likely to get the disease as men.
Drugs have been developed that slow the progress of the disease in many
patients, but no cure has yet been found.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (also called lupus or SLE) is a disease in
which antibodies begin to attack the body's own tissues and
organs as if they

The autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus can affect
nearly every system in the body. (Illustration by

Electronic Illustrators Group

.)

were foreign. The cause of SLE is unknown. It can affect both men and
women of all ages, but 90 percent of those afflicted are women. Among
the many symptoms of the disease are fevers, weakness, muscle pain,
weight loss, skin rashes, joint pain, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, and
inflammation of the lining of the lungs or the lining around the heart.
Treatment for SLE depends on how severe the symptoms are. Mild symptoms
like inflammation can be treated with aspirin or ibuprofen. Severe
symptoms are often treated with stronger drugs, including steroids.
Drugs to decrease the body's immune response may also be used for
severely ill SLE patients.

Lymphadenitis

Lymphadenitis is the inflammation of lymph nodes. The cause is often an
infection of the nodes by bacteria that has entered through a cut or
wound in the skin. A virus may also be the cause. The infection may
occur in a limited number of nodes in a specific area or in many nodes
over a wider area. If the lymph vessels connecting the affected nodes
are also inflamed, that condition is known as lymphangitis.

The swollen nodes are often painful to the touch. The skin over the
nodes may also be red and warm to the touch. If the accompanying lymph
vessels are involved in the infection, they will appear as red streaks
from the wound to the lymph nodes. In children, the swollen nodes often
appear in the neck because they are close to the ears and
throat—locations of frequent bacterial infections in children.

Treatment for lymphadenitis and lymphangitis usually involves
medications. Antibiotics, such as penicillin, are often prescribed, and
the infection is brought under control in three to four days. If left
untreated, the infection may lead to blood poisoning, which is sometimes
fatal.

Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a type of cancer in which cells of the lymphatic system (B
cells and T cells) become abnormal and begin to grow uncontrollably.
Because lymphatic tissue is found throughout the body, lymphomas can
occur anywhere. There are many types of lymphomas, but they are
generally divided into two main groups: Hodgkin's lymphoma and
non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. The exact cause of the cancers in either
group is not known.

Hodgkin's lymphoma (or Hodgkin's disease) can occur at any
age, although people in early adulthood (ages fifteen to thirty-four)
and late adulthood (after age sixty) are most affected. The cancer
begins in a lymph node (usually in the neck), causing swelling and
possibly pain. After affecting one group of nodes, it progresses on to
the next. In advanced cases of the cancer, the spleen, liver, and bone
marrow may also be affected. Symptoms

include fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, and itching. As the cancer
spreads throughout the body, the immune response becomes less effective.
Common infections caused by bacteria and viruses begin to take over.

Hodgkin's lymphoma is one of the most curable forms of cancer.
However, as with any form of cancer, early detection and treatment is
highly recommended. Once detected in the body, Hodgkin's is
usually treated through chemotherapy (using a combination of drugs to
kill the cancer cells and shrink any tumors) or radiation therapy (using
X rays or other high-energy rays to kill the cancer cells and shrink any
tumors) or a combination of both.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas encompass over twenty-nine types of
lymphomas. Again, the exact cause of these lymphomas is unknown. In
general,

Hodgkin's lymphoma cells. This form of cancer begins in a
lymph node—often in the neck—then progresses to other
nodes. (Photograph by

Andrejs Liepins

. Reproduced by permission of

Photo Researchers, Inc.

)

males suffer from these cancers more than females. People between the
ages of sixty and sixty-nine are at the highest risk of contracting
these lymphomas. Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas also tend to strike
people suffering from AIDS. Symptoms for non-Hodgkin's lymphomas
are similar those for Hodgkin's lymphoma. Along with the swelling
of lymph nodes, patients may experience loss of appetite, weight loss,
nausea, vomiting, pain in the lower back, headaches, fevers, and night
sweats. The liver and spleen may enlarge, as well. Immune responses may
be weakened.

Treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphomas also include chemotherapy
and radiation therapy (either by themselves or in combination). In
severe cases, bone marrow transplants may take place. Since the
"cure" rate for non-Hodgkin's lymphomas is not as
good as it is for Hodgkin's lymphoma, early detection and
treatment is vital.

Tonsillitis

Tonsillitis is an infection and swelling of the tonsils. The condition
is caused by bacteria or viruses that have entered the body through the
mouth or sinuses. In addition to swollen and red tonsils, symptoms
include a mild or severe sore throat, fever, chills, muscle aches,
earaches, and tiredness. Although anyone can be afflicted with
tonsillitis, the disease is most common in children between the ages of
five and ten.

For mild cases of tonsillitis, treatment usually involves bed rest and
drinking extra fluids. The body usually brings the infection under
control within a few days. If the case is more severe, penicillin or
other antibiotics may be prescribed to combat the infection. If an
individual suffers repeatedly from

severe tonsillitis, the tonsils may be removed surgically. That
procedure is called a tonsillectomy.

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